Video

Venezuela opposition demands recount after Maduro's tight win

April 15 - Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles says he won't recognize the results until the election board opens ''all of the boxes'' and recounts each vote. Deborah Gembara reports.

TRANSCRIPT +

Venezuelans woke to the news that Nicolas Maduro, Hugo Chavez's handpicked successor had won the election --- albeit by a slim margin, 50.7 percent to 49.1 percent.
SOUNDBITE: Venezuelan Citizen, Hugo Serpa saying (Spanish):
"The result was good, transparent. It was won by 300,000 votes. It was not like before."
Others were less convinced.
SOUNDBITE: Venezuelan Citizen, Pedro Valero saying (Spanish):
"This is to me - and if it sends me to jail, I'll say it anyway - they are tyrants. Tyrants to me are people who do not love their people. Hugo Chavez died, wrongly - or not, for his people and for his ideals. These people don't have ideals"
The narrow margin and opposition candidate Henrique Capriles' stronger than expected showing took many Venezuelans by surprise. His campaign has demanded a recount.
SOUNDBITE: Opposition Presidential Candidate Henrique Capriles Saying:
"I want to say to the government's candidate (Maduro) the loser today is you and say that firmly. You are the loser. You and your government. I say that with firmness and with all the compromise and transparency. (EDIT) We will not recognize the results until each and every Venezuelan vote, one by one, has been counted."
For its part, the election board says Maduro's win is "irreversible" and doesn't appear to be considering an audit.

SPONSOREDSTORIES

Reuters is the news and media division of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms.

*All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.